John Juanda brought it on in third street with a queen in front of Phil Ivey, who just called the bring-in. Bill Chen then completed, which was enough to fold Juanda. Ivey called to fourth street and tried a bet after Chen checked. Chen wouldn't go away, however, and called to fifth street, where his bet chased Ivey out of the pot.
The game has switched to razz. Ivey won the first three pots uncontested before Bill Chen took one down without a fight. The fifth hand actually progressed to fourth street after John Juanda brought it in with a 9 and called Ivey's completion bet with a 6. On fourth Juanda bricked against Ivey's 7 and folded for a single bet.
Bill Chen has chips and he's catching good cards. That could be a tough combination to beat if it doesn't change. John Juanda at least managed to eke a chop out of a recent pot with Chen. Chen raised the small blind pre-flop, with Juanda calling from the big blind. Chen bet the flop and then called a raise.
The turn and river were both check-called by Chen. At showdown, Juanda tabled for a 7-5 low and a pair of sevens. He missed all of his straight draws. Chen took the high with aces, .
John Juanda is the new short stack -- if 800,000 chips can be considered a short stack -- after losing a sizable pot to Bill Chen. Juanda raised the button pre-flop, and was called by Chen from the big blind. The flop came paired, . Chen checked, then raised after Juanda bet. This was a play that worked earlier in hold'em, but here Juanda didn't fold. He called.
Chen led the turn, with Juanda making the call. The board double paired on the river, , inducing a check from Chen. Juanda tried a bet but Chen wasn't going to let go of the nut flush. He called with .
The end has come for Ken Aldridge. He limped his button before John Juanda completed the small blind and Phil Ivey checked the big blind. Juanda checked the flop to Ivey, who led out with a bet. Aldridge raised, chasing Juanda out of the pot. Ivey called to the turn , where Aldridge got the rest of his chips in. Ivey called. Showdown, gentlemen!
Ivey: , two pair, jacks and eights
Aldridge: , two pair, jacks and deuces
Neither player had a low draw. That left Aldridge drawing slim on the river. He was out in fourth place after the river paired eights, , to give Ivey a full house.
The swings are brutally big now. One pot to showdown is typically at least 300,000 chips. Ken Aldridge opened from the small blind for a raise that was called by big blind John Juanda.
On an all-small, all-diamond flop of , Aldridge bet and Juanda raised. Aldridge called to the turn and bet again. Juanda just called. The river paired the board . Aldridge checked to Juanda, who fired a bet. Aldridge tanked for a bit before calling. He couldn't beat Juanda's diamond flush, .
Juanda is up to 1.4 million in chips. Aldridge is in danger of busting, with just 250,000 left.
John Juanda raised from the cutoff pre-flop and was called by big blind Bill Chen. Chen checked the flop to Juanda, who continued with a bet. Chen then check-raised, drawing a fold from Juanda.
The game has moved back to hold'em, and there's some confusion over where the button should be. Ultimately it was determined there should be a dead small blind and Phil Ivey should be the big blind. He got a walk. Now there's a dead button, with Ivey in the small blind and Bill Chen in the big blind. From there the button will resume its normal orbit.